The walk home after the game was quiet. Kyle was unusually subdued, his earlier excitement replaced with disappointment. Mia kept glancing at him, waiting for him to say something, but he just stared straight ahead, hands shoved deep in his pockets. The entire school had been buzzing about the game, and now they were left with the sour taste of defeat.
"I thought we had it," Kyle finally muttered, breaking the silence. "If Aiden hadn't gotten hurt, maybe we would've won."
Mia wasn't sure how to respond. She could still see Aiden in her mind, standing there after the missed shot, looking utterly defeated. She didn't know him well, but she couldn't stop thinking about the pressure he must've been under.
"He played through the injury. That's impressive, even if it didn't turn out the way everyone wanted," Mia said softly.
Kyle nodded but didn't seem convinced. "Yeah, but no one cares about that. People just remember the loss. And the fact that we lost to Westfield is going to be a thing for the rest of the year. Aiden especially… he's gonna get all the blame."
Mia frowned. "That's not fair. He's the reason the game was even close in the first place."
Kyle shrugged. "Maybe. But people have high expectations for him. Being the star player means you get all the praise when you win—and all the blame when you lose."
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Mia couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Aiden's story than just basketball. The way he'd pushed himself, the way he'd tried to hide his pain—it all seemed like more than just a game.
---
The weekend passed uneventfully, but by Monday morning, the rumors had already started spreading. The school was buzzing with talk about the game, and just as Kyle had predicted, people were blaming Aiden for the loss.
Mia overheard snippets of conversations as she walked through the halls.
"He totally blew it. We could've won if it wasn't for him."
"Why didn't the coach pull him out? He was injured. No wonder he missed the shot."
"Yeah, he's good, but he's not invincible. That miss was embarrassing."
Mia clenched her fists, feeling a surge of frustration on Aiden's behalf. It wasn't fair. No one seemed to care about how hard he'd played or how much he'd sacrificed just to stay in the game. They only cared about the final score.
As she reached her locker, she found Lily waiting for her.
"You're not going to believe this," Lily said, her eyes wide with excitement.
Mia raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
"Aiden Cruz was spotted skipping class this morning," Lily whispered dramatically. "Apparently, he's been avoiding everyone since the game. Rumor has it he's not taking the loss well."
Mia frowned. It wasn't like she expected Aiden to be in a great mood, but skipping school seemed extreme. She hadn't seen him in the hallways, and she was beginning to wonder just how badly he was handling everything.
"Maybe he just needs some space," Mia said, trying to be diplomatic.
Lily shrugged. "Maybe. But you know how people are. They're gonna talk. And not all of it is nice."
Mia wasn't sure why, but the more people talked about Aiden, the more protective she felt of him. He wasn't just some untouchable basketball star; he was human, and he was clearly struggling.
---
Later that afternoon, after her last class, Mia decided to stop by the gym. She had a feeling that if Aiden was anywhere, it would be there. Even if he wasn't in class, she suspected he might find some solace in the place where he felt most comfortable—on the court.
Sure enough, when she entered the empty gym, she saw him. Aiden was alone, dribbling a basketball slowly, his movements sluggish and tired. He hadn't noticed her yet, his focus entirely on the ball as he took shot after shot.
Mia hesitated at the entrance, unsure if she should interrupt. Part of her felt like this was a moment Aiden needed to himself, but another part of her couldn't just leave him there, clearly burdened by something more than just the game.
She took a deep breath and stepped onto the court.
"Aiden?"
He stopped mid-dribble and looked up, surprised to see her. For a moment, neither of them said anything. His usual guarded expression was replaced with exhaustion, and Mia could see the dark circles under his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and flat.
"I—uh—I saw you weren't in class today. Just wanted to check if you were okay," Mia said, awkwardly shifting her weight. She suddenly felt like she was intruding, but it was too late to back out now.
Aiden let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Why do you care?"
Mia blinked, taken aback by the question. "I don't know. I guess I just… don't like seeing people go through things alone."
Aiden stared at her for a moment, as if trying to figure out if she was being sincere. Finally, he sighed and sank down onto the bleachers, rubbing his injured arm.
"I'm fine. I just needed some time away from all the noise," he muttered.
Mia cautiously sat down a few feet away from him. "People are talking. A lot. And not all of it's fair."
"Tell me something I don't know," Aiden said with a bitter smile. "It's always like this. Win, and you're a hero. Lose, and everyone forgets how much you did before that."
Mia nodded, unsure what to say. She wasn't an athlete, and she couldn't pretend to understand the kind of pressure Aiden was under. But she knew what it felt like to have expectations piled on you—expectations you weren't sure you could meet.
"Why do you do it?" Mia asked quietly. "Why push yourself so hard? You could've sat out the second half, rested your arm. But you didn't."
Aiden didn't answer right away. He stared at the floor, his fingers absentmindedly rolling the basketball back and forth. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Because I don't have a choice."
Mia frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
Aiden leaned back, his eyes distant. "Everyone expects me to be the best. My teammates, the school, my family… especially my dad. He used to be a star player, and now he's pushing me to live up to that. There's no room for failure. If I don't win, then what's the point?"
Mia felt a pang of sympathy. She hadn't realized how deep the pressure ran for Aiden. It wasn't just about winning games—it was about living up to someone else's expectations, about proving his worth.
"That sounds… exhausting," she said softly.
Aiden let out a long breath. "Yeah, it is. But what choice do I have? If I don't succeed, I'm just another player who couldn't live up to the hype."
Mia looked at him, her heart aching for the weight he carried. "You're more than just a basketball player, Aiden."
He glanced at her, his green eyes searching hers for something—perhaps reassurance, perhaps understanding. He didn't respond, but for the first time, Mia saw a crack in his armor, a glimpse of the boy behind the superstar.
And in that moment, she realized that Aiden Cruz wasn't just someone who lived on the court. He was someone who was desperately trying to find his place—both in the game and in life.